Kosovo and Montenegro, with an agreement on the open sky corridor

2023-04-14 11:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo and Montenegro, with an agreement on the open sky corridor

Albin Kurti and Dritan Abazovic

Kosovo and Montenegro have signed an agreement for air services, which allows for shorter travel times and aims to lower ticket prices for travelers.

The signing of this agreement took place during the visit to Kosovo of the Prime Minister with technical mandate of Montenegro, Dritan Abazovi?.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, Abazovi? said in a press conference that this agreement is part of several projects of the two governments, which aim to improve the regional atmosphere of cooperation.

"Our idea was to create an easier access for the citizens of both countries. If we create a mobility, an easier approach and the exchange of goods, people and businesses will be much more intensive and this will create a much better regional atmosphere", said Abazovi?, adding that in the meeting with Kurti they talked also for other infrastructural projects that would improve the connection between the two states.

Meanwhile, Kurti said that the signed agreement for air services was "an equally important, equally necessary step" for regulating the airspace between the two states.

"The agreement we signed today offers new opportunities for the development of civil aviation, it enables the shortening of air routes and flight time by 15 minutes. An airline that has been flying four times a day can easily add another flight with this deal. Then, it reduces the emission of harmful gases and lowers the cost of flights, which affects the price of tickets for travelers", said Kurti.

He added that the agreement enables the existing air corridors between Kosovo and Montenegro, which until now have been used for NATO military flights, to be used for civil aviation as well.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo manages the low airspace of the state, while the high space - above 6,200 meters - is under the control of Hungary, namely HungaroControl. This is due to the fact that Kosovo still does not have adequate capacities to manage high air spaces.

During the joint media conference, Abazovi? said that his country will support Kosovo in its applications for membership in international organizations and mechanisms and emphasized that despite the fact that there have been "several political processes" in his country, the official policy of Montenegro is against Kosovo will not change.

Abazovic seems to have referred to the election of Jakov Millatovic to the post of president, who himself has declared that there will be no withdrawal of the recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Montenegro has recognized the independence of Kosovo a few months after the authorities in Pristina announced it in 2008./ Rel